It is often difficult, if not impossible, to distinguish the Pentagon's official Facebook pages from the countless "clones" erected by military familes, fans and supporters, a new study finds.
Moreover, an "extremely small number" of the Defense Department's Facebook outlets have any markings whatsoever indicating they are official Web sites, creating confusion among Facebook users, the report continues.
Both findings are part of a new study released Wednesday by Janson Communications, a public relations firm that specializes in defense.
Analysts there prepared their report in January, weeks before the Pentagon announced it would allow troops serving both at home and abroad access to social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.
But the report's authors nonetheless stress their data demonstrates the key challenges military leaders will still face in implementing their Web policy this year.
The Pentagon announced its seminal policy shift on Friday, following a seven-month review of its social network rules. Ultimately, the new guidelines permit even troops stationed in war zones to communicate with family and friends using the Web, though commanders do have the ability to shut off access temporarily to preserve network resources or safeguard U.S. interests.
The Federal Communication Commission's forthcoming broadband road map calls for the creation of Video.gov -- a Web video archive not too unlike the White House's other information portals.
The FCC's government performance director, Eugene Huang, first discussed the provision at a civic engagement conference this week. He said would arrive as part of the agency's National Broadband Plan, due to Congress on May 17.
The video archive would build on the early successes of Data.gov, the information hub established during the first year of President Barack Obama's administration. However, the video archive would be managed by the Library of Congress and other archival agencies within the federal government, not the White House.
The online advertising industry is dipping its toe in political fundraising as its trade group tries to beef up its Capitol Hill involvement.
The Interactive Advertising Bureau launched its own political action committee a year and a half ago and started writing checks to lawmakers last year. The group represents the interests of Internet advertising networks and companies that rely on that ad revenue, including AOL, Amazon, Hulu, Facebook, Yahoo, Microsoft Advertising, Huffington Post and Gawker Media.
Rep. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) was the beneficiary of IAB's first fundraiser in November. IAB plans to host 10 more events this year to "find our champions and educate members," said Mike Zaneis, vice president for public policy.
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A top Microsoft executive on Tuesday suggested a broad Internet tax to help defray the costs associated with computer security breaches and vast Internet attacks, according to reports.
Speaking at a security conference in San Francisco, Microsoft Vice President for Trustworthy Computing Scott Charney pitched the Web usage fee as one way to subsidize efforts to combat emerging cyber threats -- a costly venture, he said, but one that had vast community benefits.
"You could say it's a public safety issue and do it with general taxation," Charney noted.
Ultimately, Charney was only offering one suggestion during the RSA security conference; not a precise policy prescription.
But his idea has already riled many in the computer world, some of whom have since charged Microsoft and its historically vulnerable Windows operating system are responsible for countless, worldwide cybersecurity problems.
Still, Charney implored those in his own industry to focus more on "social solutions" to growing Internet security concerns. He described the importance of cybersecurity in terms of national healthcare, noting that computer ailments and hacks, like preventable diseases, travel to and incapacitate other, connected units -- not just the infected user's home computer.
"Just like we do defense in depth in IT, we have to do defense in depth in... response," he later added.
Google is imploring U.S. officials to argue against China's strict Internet censorship laws before the World Trade Organization, according to media reports.
The move would be "well worth consideration," as China's Web practices have made it exceptionally hard for a number of companies to do business there, explained Nicole Wong, deputy general counsel at Google, at a congressional hearing on Tuesday.
However, it remains unclear whether the White House might actually press the issue before the world's predominate foreign trade body, especially at a time when diplomatic relations with China are already tenuous.
Previously, U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk told Bloomberg that the Obama administration was "looking at" the possibility of an official WTO complaint against China on its Web rules. But no decision seems to have been made, and there's no mention of such a tactic in the administration's recently released trade guidelines.
Kirk's office was unavailable for further comment on Wednesday.
But even the discussion about an official WTO complaint signals the level of frustration over China's Internet practices that is brewing in both U.S. political and commercial circles.
A number of companies, including Google, are now trying to frame China's strict censorship rules as detriments to doing business and obstacles for world trade.
However, Google, in particular, remains in compliance with China's Web standards; while the company plans to stop censoring its results, it has yet to do so.
The burgeoning social network just posted new positions to build on its current team of three D.C. staffers.
Facebook is looking for a "public policy manager" and a "public policy associate" to help tackle the growing list of issues the company now faces in Washington.
Congress continues to flirt with the idea of enacting privacy legislation, which would have an enormous impact on how Facebook and other internet companies collect consumer data. The Federal Trade Commission is eyeing new regulations for the online advertising industry, on which Facebook relies for revenue. And privacy advocates and consumer groups are quick to voice concerns Facebook's growing arsenal of personal information.
At least one of the new additions will be a lobbyist. Responsibilities will include leading outreach to consumer groups, monitoring legislation, meeting with government officials and building coalitions to advance Facebook's policy goals.
Facebook opened its D.C. office in 2007, relying on Adam Conner to handle outreach to lawmakers and their staffs. Last year, Facebook hired veteran privacy advocate Tim Sparapani, formerly with the ACLU, to lead its lobbying efforts. Andrew Noyes, former Congress Daily reporter, joined the team in November as communications manager.
The company is expanding outside the United States as well. It just opened an office in Germany and is looking for two new policy managers to represent Facebook in Europe. Since each country has vastly different privacy laws, Facebook needs additional resources as the social network spreads around the world.
Broadcasters, she said "don't pay musicians a single penny for their work."
Using lyrics from one of her popular songs, she said, "I'm sure you all thought that I walked on by with a check in my hand. I wish I did, but I just walked on by."
Warwick , wearing Ugg boots, a baseball cap and sunglasses, said Congress needs to do more than "say a little prayer" for singers who aren't compensated by passing the Performance Rights Act.
Broadcasters' refusal to pay royalty fees to musicians when airing
their songs is a form of involuntary servitude, Conyers said Tuesday afternoon.
During a
press conference with singer Dionne Warwick on Capitol Hill, Conyers
promoted the Performance Rights Act, which would require AM and FM
radio broadcasters to pay royalties to singers and bands for playing
their songs on the air.
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